Method of controlling a vehicle to make a combination of arbitrary translational and rotational motions

Abstract

A method of controlling a rotary vehicle to navigate a heading using a conation of translational and rotational motions by a plurality of driving-steering wheels controlling the motion in three degrees of freedom for a manned or unmanned vehicle having at least two drive-steering wheels, wherein a drive-steering wheel is a wheel with its heading orientation and driving velocity positively controlled, wherein a global motion is a vehicle trajectory with vehicle orientation from the initial position (with orientation) to a final destination (with orientation), which comprises comparing a global motion selected to the vehicle's body position and orientation to compute a motion instruction in three degrees of freedom, the acceleration, path of curvature, and rotation rate, collectively known as the motion command then converting the motion command into a translational speed, a translational direction, and a rotational rate and converting the translational speed, the translational direction and the rotational rate into the direction and driving speed for each independent drive-steering wheel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of controlling the motion in three degrees of freedom for a manned or unmanned vehicle having at least two drive-steering wheels, wherein a drive-steering wheel is a wheel with its heading orientation and driving velocity positively controlled, wherein a global motion is a vehicle trajectory with vehicle orientation from the initial position (with orientation) to a final destination (with orientation), which comprises: (a) comparing a global motion selected to the vehicle's body position and orientation to compute a motion instruction in three degrees of freedom, the acceleration, path curvature, and rotation rate, collectively known as the motion command;   (b) converting the motion command into a translational speed, a translational direction, and a rotational rate; and   (c) converting the translational speed, the translational direction and the rotational rate into the direction and driving speed for each independent drive-steering wheel.   
     
     
       2. A method of controlling the motion in three degrees of freedom for a manned or unmanned vehicle having at least two drive-steering wheels, wherein a drive-steering wheel is a wheel with its heading orientation and driving velocity positively controlled, wherein a global motion is a vehicle trajectory with vehicle orientation from the initial position (with orientation) to a final destination (with orientation), which comprises: (a) selecting the desired type of a global (body) motion in three degrees of freedom for the vehicle;   (b) initializing the vehicle controller and drive motors;   (c) repeating a sequence of operations at a constant time interval until the global motion is completed, where the sequence comprises:   (d) sensing the shaft encoders of the drive motors to compute the new heading orientation and the incremental motion against the ground on each drive-steering wheel;   (e) computing the vehicle's incremental translational and rotational motion by the results of step (d);   (f) computing the vehicle's updated body position and orientation from the results of step (e);   (g) comparing the global motion selected in step (a) to the vehicle's updated body position and orientation resulting from step (f) to compute a motion instruction in three degrees of freedom, the acceleration, path curvature, and rotation rate, collectively known as the motion command;   (h) converting the motion command into the translational speed, the translational direction, and the rotational rate;   (i) converting the translational speed, the translational direction and the rotational rate into the direction and driving speed for each independent drive-steering wheel;   (j)) converting the direction and driving speed into two separate motor commands for each drive-steering wheel;   (k) sending the two commands to two motors for each wheel;   (l) returning to step (d) if the global motion is not completed; and   (m) stopping the vehicle when the global motion is completed.